Crumbs #36 Andy Warhol anyone?

This is a lesson I taught with the older YL which started in unit 1 of the National Geographic coursebook, Life that we are using with the summer courses for teens. If you are interested in the original lesson, you can find it in the coursebook, in the second edition.

My brain tends to walk its own ways so pretty quickly it became aparent that much as it is inspiring, we have our own plans (btw, I am really looking forward to teaching the rest of the unit). Since I have already put together bits and pieces that were inspired and dedicated to Andy, this lesson was a step further, to take Andy into the classroom with the older students, too.

So, Andy.

Colour. Two pictures aka introduction

• Two illustrations (see below). Students work in pairs or small teams and discuss the questions below. Afterwards, they compare the ideas as a class.
• Talk about these pictures.
• Are they similar or different? What is similar? What is different?
• Do you like them? Why?
• How do they make you feel? Would you hang them in your bedroom or in your house?
• How do the artists use the colours in both pictures? Which one do you prefer?
• Would these pictures still be interesting in black and white? Why?

Colours. New idioms aka new language

• Students work in small teams. They match the the idiom in the sentence with the meaning.
• Check the answers as a class, additional clarification.
• Students go back to work in pairs. They come up with the examples to illustrate each idiom and tell mini-stories.
• The handout we used can be found here.

Colour. Associations aka production

• A mini-lecture on Andy Warhol and the way he used to work (Marylin Monroe and the Cambpell Soup)
• The whole class works on eliciting the associations with one of the colours, in our case it was grey. The teacher shows some of her associations with the colour. The students try to guess the rationale behind each of the ideas.
• The students prepare for the main speaking task: they write the numbers 1 – 10 and they notes about at least three associations for each of the colours
• The students work in pairs or small groups. Each of the students presents their associations for the partner to guess the colours and afterwards they explain their choices.
• During the feedback session, the students share the most interesting or the most unexpected associations.
• The handout we used can be found here.

Colour. Quiz

• The students work as a team or a whole class.
• They look at the photographs representing different cultures and countries. They analyse the colours and try to guess which countries they represent.
• They check the answers.
• The handout we used can be found here.

Colour. Comments

• Any photograph can be used to accompany Andy’s Marylin. I have used the one that we had in the coursebook, one of a scene from a traditional Indian wedding. Today, if I taught this lesson again (or when I teach this lesson again), I would like to use even a wider range of colour such as a painting by Kandinsky, a a painting by Rothko, a storybook illustration, a child’s drawing etc.
• The lesson was taught online so the craft / creation component had to be limited to a speaking task. I was tempted to use a variation of the craft activity we used with my younger students but it was simply impossible.